District 58
by Guessworks
Summary: After giving up the war they were forced to fight in, the remaining smashers live in peace. At least they did, until the mansion is destroyed and they must run away from the Justice and the General to avoid imprisonment or execution. Pairings inside.
1. Prologue

The malevolent-looking silver tent was silhouetted by the pale moonlight. Anxious beeings walked in. The dark woods revealed more creatures who excitedly payed the entry fee. Once the clearing was empty, save for the tent, the show began.

Inside the humongous tent the thousands of visitors sat, high up in the stands, looking down at the center. They were completly silent, awaiting the first act. Their anticipation was greeted by a chilling song.

"Drink up baby down  
Are you in or are you out?  
Leave your things behind  
'Cause it's all going off without you  
Excuse me  
Too busy  
You're writing your tragedy  
These mishaps  
You bubble-wrap when  
You've no idea who you're like." and eerie female voice rang out. "Let go!" The singer screamed, making the audience jump.

"So let go  
And then jump in  
And oh well, what you waiting for?  
And it's alright  
Because there's beauty in the breakdown  
Let go

So let go  
Just get in  
And oh, it's so amazing here  
And it's all right  
Because there's beauty in the breakdown" A male singer joined, their voices entertwined in the fast paced song.

"It gains the more it gives  
And then it fanasies with the poor  
So honey back for more  
Now can't you see that all that stuff's essential?  
Such boundless  
Pleasure, we've no time for later now  
You can't await  
You roll your eyes means  
You've twenty seconds to comply

Let go

So let go  
And then jump in  
And oh well, what you waiting for?  
And it's alright  
Because there's beauty in the breakdown

Let go

So let go  
Just get in  
And oh, it's so amazing here  
And it's all right  
Because there's beauty in the breakdown  
In your head  
Your head  
In your head  
Your head" The female stopped.

"Drink up baby down  
Are you in or are you out?  
You can't wait  
You roll your eyes  
Twenty second to comply" The male screamed these lyrics with such forced that meeker members in the audience screamed at the sudden change.

"So let go  
And then jump in  
And oh, it's so amazing here  
And it's alright  
Because there's beauty in the breakdown

Let go

So let go  
Just get in  
And oh, it's so amazing here  
And it's all right  
Because there's beauty in the breakdown

Let go

So let go  
And then jump in  
Oh well, what you waiting for?And it's alright  
Because there's beauty in the breakdown  
Let go  
So let go  
Just get in  
And oh, it's so amazing here  
And it's all right

Because there's beauty in the breakdown" The melody finished eerily, fading into silence. The audience held their breaths. A bright spotlight was turned on, illuminating but the center of the stage. A tall, slender figure with long white hair walked out. He held the rim of his asymmetrical top hat low over his eyes with his right hand. His long coat floated centimeters above the dusty ground, swooshing at every step he took. He halted in the middle of the spotlight and grinned.

"I take it you liked our song?" He titled his head upward, revealing his deep purple eyes. The audience was broken out of their trance, cheering frantically. The mysterious figure chuckled and waited until they calmed down. "You'll meet the singers soon enough. I'm ringmaster Hand." The audience stared at the man.

"As you may have noticed, I'm one of the few remaining free humans." Hand paused. "This is my circus. I used to shelter us. I used to protect us. Then tragedy striked." The ringmaster shook his head. "But enough with the sad stories. You're here to see a circus. If anyone feels uncomfortable with watching humans perform, you can leave." he paused, and when no one moved, he smiled.

"Good." Suddenly, he disappeared from sight.

Members of the audience looked at each other in confusion as a larger-than-normal fox waltzed onto the stage. He sat down in the middle of the dusty ground, opening his grand jaws and licking his sharp teeth. His piercing eyes bore into the curious crowd. An average sized black haired teen joined him. His messy hair fell into his eyes and framed his dark face. His torso was bare, save for the big, black, arrow tattoo that snaked around his abdomen. He wore dark, purple tinted jeans. Ripped, bat-like wings protruded from his back, fluttering gently.

The tattooed male looked at the audience with curiosity-filled bright yellow eyes. The fox's gaze wandered up to the human. Suddenly it's eyes narrowed and it launched itself at the teen, mouth open and teeth bared. The audience gasped. The teen was no longer there, but was crouching atop a large tank of turquoise water, eyes narrowed at the vulpine, who was now a teen as well, sporting ears and a tail. His emerald eyes matched the green bandanna loosely wrapped around his tan neck. The fox-boy was wearing a light gray tank top as well as perfectly fitted, though badly ripped, navy dress pants.

"Welcome." The hybrid smiled charismatically at the audience. He then turned his attention back to the other human, who had started chaining himself up. Fox-boy walked up to him and welded the chains with a torch that was found near the tank.

"I need someone from the audience to come down, please." The brunette scanned the crowd. "You." He said, narrowing his eyes at a particularly strong-looking greap. It braved the jump from it's first row seat to the ground, the walked (rolled?) up to the performers. "Please test these chains."

The greap tried slicing at them, but it's long, sharp blades did not even scratch the metal. It then tried pulling them apart, to no avail. Fox-boy helped the black-haired teen into the tank of water, then sealed the top of the tank. He then had the greap try to open it, break the glass, among other things. He then sent the creature back to his seat.

"How many of you think he can escape?" The vulpine turned towards the audience. The crowd was a chorus of negative answers. Gazes were fixed on the male in the tank, who had his head bowed and eyes closed. His wings stretched out and some chains dropped down. Then his fingers pressed against the glass. He tilted his head up gazing at the stunned crowd. The last of his bonds sank to the bottom. The audience waited as he just stared. Suddenly the teen was gone, and a flurry of bubbles rose in the water. A scream rang out from the audience as he appeared behind a glice.

"Meta and Fox." Ringmaster Hand's voice rang out as Meta disappeared again, helping Fox wheel out the tank. "Defying gravity is something that takes years to practice. Unless of course, you have the abilities required..."

The stage went completely dark once again. A single shimmering feather fell from the ceiling, luring the crowd's gaze upward. Another teen sat on a beam. His shaggy brown hair drew attention to his cerulean eyes, set in a child-like face. He was shirtless, wearing nothing but large gray sweatpants that cut right below the knee. He licked his chapped lips, staring at his toes, as if he didn't know that he was the center of the audience's focus. He got up slowly, then started walking on the beam towards a rolled up gold ribbon. The brunette gently poked it with his foot, sending the silk ribbon tumbling down. He then proceeded to walk back to his previous spot. Just as he was nearing it, he jumped off, making it look like he'd tripped. The crowd gasped as he plumetted towards the ground. But their eyes were following a target that was no longer there. They drew their gazes up again. Beautiful white wings flapped gently, sending the occasional feather down. The heavenly appendages supported the teen, who had started to draw them back.

The angel dived, concentration etched on his face. He pulled up inches from the ground, twirling gleefully. The audience could hear his soft giggles and sighs of wonder. To him, there was no bigger joy than flying, and it was obvious. He folded his wings back, flipping down to the ground once again, landing gracefully. The audience was captivated by his innocent, albeit scarred, features. He started doing back handsprings until he was at the foot of the ribbon, where he looked up. The crowd followed his gaze, and spotted a beautiful blonde teen, clad in skin-tight blue shorts, as well as a skin-tight blue shirt. The blue matched her partner's eyes. She fixed her azure gaze on the golden silk. The blonde vaulted off the beam and expertly entertwined her legs in the ribbon, twirling downward, supported by nothing but the loose fabric. The hypnotized visitors watched as she tangled herself in the silk in various ways, stretching and falling, rolling and vaulting. When the girl was approximately ten feet off the ground, she parted herself from the fabric, flipping through the air. Her partner got into a handstand, and she landed on him perfectly, her feet on his.

She leaped off him lightly, and they ran to opposite ends of the stage. When they were in position, they locked gazes, then started chaining cartwheels, roundoffs, layouts, flips, and handsprings, among other things. They neared each other, seemingly set in a collision course. Right when the crowd thought they would run into each other, the boy dropped into left splits and caught his partner mid-flip. He threw her upward towards a trapeze, which she caught on to with her legs.

The blond twisted so she was sitting up. Then she proceeded to use the bar as a swing, grabbing the ropes holding it up. She twisted again, clutching the bar with the back of her knees, reaching out and grabbing her partner's hands. She flung him upward until he sat on the trapeze with her. She sat up again, and they swung, gaining momentum. The angel stood up and jumped off, landing gracefully near a hidden exit. He caught his partner bridal style as she followed suit. He put her down and they bowed, walking out.

"Pit and Samus." The ringmaster could be heard from the shadows. "Have you, creatures of subspace, ever seen a beast? A ferocious beast, that, if let loose, would kill all of you, without second thought?" At those words, a giant white dragon-like creature ran out, pink jaws parted in a ferocious roar. A blond teen with pointed ears and sharp features jumped over the beast and landed, facing away from it. He turned around slowly, dragging a heavy black chain. Electricity crackled from it as he stared down his pet. The teen wore no shirt, green-grey sweatpants, knee-high boots and bandages on his arms. The hand he held the chain with was covered with a heavy glove.

The beast roared in the blond's face, but the teen didn't flinch. Instead he took a step forward, looking the creature in the eye.

"No one move." He hissed. "One wrong move and he goes after you." The tension in the air was immense. The audience was petrified, save for one brave, albeit stupid soul.

"YOU'RE A FAKE! DO SOMETHING ALREADY!" the primid yelled out angrily. The blond's pet snapped his head towards the sound, where the soon-to-be victim was waving his arms. The beast ran extremely fast towards it's target, then, with an extraordinary leap, landed in front of the primid. It dug it's long pink claws into the primid's chest, throwing it into the arena. Shadow bugs sprayed the crowd. The creature bounded back in, ready to tear apart it's prey, but the electric chain caught it in the side. It was thrown across the stage. The blond teen glared at it, and it backed away into the shadows once more.

The ringmaster ran onto the stage, a grim expression on his face.

"Due to unforeseen circumstances, the circus will end now. Please exit the tent immediately." The crowd basically ran out, terrified of the beast, and assuming that was the reason the circus ended so abruptly. When they got outside, they were greeted by the Justice.

"What are you all doing here?" The lead soldier asked a small primid. It opened it's mouth and turned around. It stared in shock, not speaking.

The circus was gone.

* * *

**A/N: So this is the fic I was talking about. Hope you enjoyed the prologue! I own nothing (including the song).  
Oh. And cookies if you can guess which song is the theme of the circus.**


	2. Chapter 1

_Sept 1_

_ Today we finally gave up. _

_After losing everything, we finally gave up._

_We walked up to the Justice. The fighters that were still alive kneeled as Master Hand walked forward, his white hair floating behind him. The silence was defeaning. I could feel our pain, emotional and physical, in the air. We lost Nes yesterday. He died of his injuries._

_ I could hear the agony in Master Hand's voice. I could see it in his movements. I looked to my right, where Samus kneeled. To the right where Ike was kneeling. We all lost so much. It wasn't fair. We didn't want to fight this war. We were tricked, and all possible ways to get back home were destroyed._

_ We're the only free ones left, I think. The humans were all imprisoned or executed because they didn't surrender. _

_"We give up." When Master Hand spoke, I could feel myself shattering. There was no way I could go back home. I would have to stop beeing captain of the angel guard and give up my bow. I'd be another regular human, save for the wings. Zelda, Peach and Marth would have to give up hope on returning to their kingdoms. Link won't be the Hero of Time anymore; Ike won't be the leader of his mercenaries. Fox won't pilot his Arwing in space, the pokémon hybrids would have to give up their tournaments. The enormity of it all hit me like a brick wall._

_ "Very well." the head soldier wasted no time in porting us to the General. I looked up, and the world's new ruler had compassion sparkling in his eyes. Compassion for our shattered minds, our broken hearts, our bloody bodies. It had been a gruesome three years of battle. He had offered us peace. After years of refusing we come and beg for it. Yet he still is compassionate. I think he might be good for this world. I remember what he said to us clearly. _

_"The last free humans. I didn't mean for it to come to this. I'm sorry. But they fought after I offered peace. I know you were forced to fight. I wish I could bring your friends back, or at least get you back home." he paused. "Master Hand, your mansion is located in District 58, Quarter 17, correct?" _

_Master Hand nodded. _

_"All of you. Once again, I'm sorry. For everything. Let me make it up to you, if only just a little bit. District 58, Quarter 17 is all yours as long as the mansion stands. You can live, train, garden, whatever. All the way from the peak of mount Smash to the end of the forest is yours. If one of you tresspasses on goverment land, you are all dead. If the mansion is destroyed, you have two days to salvage any belongings and turn yourself in. Otherwise you are dead." His gaze surveyed us, then he ported us to the mansion grounds. _

_I wonder how long this peace will last._

Pit closed his journal and ran his finger along the worn leather spine. He sighed. It had been two years and yet the pain was still fresh. He missed his friends, his bow, his home. The mansion and the fourteen others were all he had left. A single tear landed on the aged leather.

He stood up, not wanting to delve into memories, but he was already far too deep. The angel could remember all of the fallen smasher's faces. They were smiling and determined, yet their eyes betrayed pain, like they did when they were alive. He sat on his bed again; he pulled his knees up to his chest, resting his chin on them. He could still remember how every single one died. The scars that snake around his body were accumulated when he tried to save them. He recalled Lucas' death the best. He saw the look on Ness' face as Lucas died. He remembered watching the 16 year-old's heart shatter. Every single smasher was no longer whole after that day. They had all changed, hollow shells of what they were before.

A soft knocking at the door of his room broke him out of his trance. He lifted his cerulean eyes, tears still streaming down his cheeks. Samus walked in.

"What's wrong?" she asked gently, walking over to the bed where Pit was sitting, still clutching his knees.

"I found my journal." the angel rasped. Samus picked it up and opened it to a random page.

_July 17_

_Lucas died this morning._

_ It was a hard blow to everybody, especially Ness. I have no clue if they were more than friends, but even if they weren't, they were pretty damn close. I was sitting in the infirmary getting my arm bandaged, when I hear Ness start crying. I walked into Lucas' room. The black-haired PSI teen was clutching his friend's sheets and sobbing loudly. He had his cheek pressed to the blond's bloody chest. I could hear him whispering "No, please, please don't go. You're all I have to live for. Please." It broke my heart even more, if that was possible. I pulled Ness away gently, and he clung on to me, sobbing into my shoulder. I watched his soul die with Lucas. When I looked into Ness' eyes I saw despair, pain, and nothing. That broke me completly. I was too numb to cry. I just sat there, holding my friend, watching my other friend fade into nothing. _

Samus slammed the journal shut and threw it across the room, not wanting to remember.

The room delved into pained silence.

The two friends sat on Pit's bed, tears streaming down their faces. Pit was crying openly; Samus turned away to try and conceal her tears. The angel looked at the blond's back. Her hair was out of it's ponytail, streaming down her back in small waves. His eyes traced the ex-bounty hunter's figure, scanning the scars on her shoulders, revealed by the sleeveless tank top she was wearing.

"Samus?" The brunette whispered tentatively, reaching out and brushing her forearm with the back of his hand. She didn't react. Pit crawled over so he faced her. He looked in the blond's azure eyes. His long fingers traced the scar that crossed her lips vertically. She reached out and brushed a strand of hair from his face. The chozo warrior smiled slightly, sighing. The angel lowered his head near his friend's, their lips almost touching. They stayed in this position for a long time, his hand on her shoulder. The silence was welcomed, comforting the two broken smashers. Their even breathing echoed through the room. After awhile, Pit leaned in more, his lips brushing Samus'...

All of a sudden, a scream was heard from the left wing of the mansion. A wave of heat blasted through the air.

"Fire!" Samus and Pit jumped away from each other, eyes wide. The ex-bounty hunter opened her friend's door, emerging into the smoky hallway. Pit joined her, journal clutched in his hand, crouching underneath the deadly smoke. He pointed towards the open window on the far right of the hallway. They crawled up to it and stood up. Samus shoved her head out of the big window, looking at the ground five stories below. Pit looked over at her worried features and picked her up bridal style. She gave a surprised squeak as he jumped out the window, landing swiftly thanks to his wings. The angel put the blond down and they walked to the edge of the forest boarding the mansion courtyard.

"What happened?" Marth ran out of the woods behind them, his panicked gaze locked on the mansion. "Where are the others?" Pit shrugged. As if on cue, Peach walked out of the flames with Lucario and Ike, who was holding someone in his arms. Crazy Hand tore across the courtyard towards an emerging Pikachu. Master Hand helped a limping Link as Kirby followed them. Zelda appeared next to them, supporting an unconcious Fox.

"That's everyone." murmured Samus, still clutching the angel. Marth ran over to Ike. He took the injured person in his arms and brought him back. The three friends gazed at the pale face of Roy.

"He was crushed by a falling beam." Ike said solemly, approaching with Lucario and Peach. Soon everybody was sitting with Pit and Samus, getting their injuries checked. Link had second degree burns along his arms, Fox had passed out from smoke inhalation and Roy was bleeing profusely. Otherwise there were barely any injured. The group sat in silence, watching the dancing flames that devoured their home. Peach occasionally checked on Fox and Roy, who were both still unconcious.

Pikachu was the one to voice the question on everybody's mind.

"What do we do now?"

**A/N: Chapter 2 :p Still don't own anything. Bet you guys are wondering how a circus prologue related to this. Well, keep reading (and maybe review) to find out! Sorry it's so short.  
Next chapter focuses more on Ike, Marth and Roy, it should also be a little longer. By the way, everybody's humanized, if you hadn't guessed already.  
**

**;D Thanks to my reviewers :) It's okay if you don't know what the song is, you get a cookie for trying :D I'm not telling you until someone get it right though.**


	3. Chapter 2

The cool night breeze promised rain. Wispy gray clouds covered the moon and most of the stars, leaving but the dying fire consuming the mansion to illuminate the landscape. I breathed in the cool air. My fingers absent-mindedly tugged on the grass while I listened to the conferring smashers. After Fox had woken up, they started deciding what course of action to take.

"There is no way we are giving in." Pit was saying in a monotone voice.

"I agree. The bunker has enough supplies for us to survive for four hundred years." Master Hand added. "But we can't stay either. We would need a cover for moving around."

"Well, I..." Peach started. I zoned out. I looked down at my still unconscious friend, Roy. Sitting a distance away with the injured redhead, I watched with a sense of semi-awe as the multiple wounds on my friend's uncovered chest knitted themselves back together.

_Ike, I gave him a heart container. His wounds should start closing and his bones will mend, but he might still have bruises. When it starts raining, go out of your way to make sure it doesn't touch any part of Roy that isn't healed yet. The water will make the heart container act like acid._ Peach had said, gently removing the redhead's headband and pushing his hair back before walking away with the rest of the smashers. I was still trying to figure out how the princess could see. I remembered being there when she was told there was no way she would ever be able to open her eyes again, as Dr Mario had sewn her eyelids shut after she had them damaged beyond repair. After a little while, I gave myself a headache and gave up the subject.

_plop_

A single drop of rain sat on the very tip of my nose, quickly sliding off. I looked up at the black night sky, then at Roy. _Shit, how am I gonna stop him from getting wet?_ I bit my lip, thinking. From what I knew, no one had any type of waterproof clothing on them, as we were not in our fighting gear.

_plop_

This time the droplet landed on the back of my hand. _Maybe..._ I got on all fours, then crawled over to my friend. I positioned myself so that I was hunched over the injured redhead. In a couple of minutes the small drops of rain multiplied into thousands and hit my back like nails. My fingers curled in the dirt; I blinked. Roy's steady breathing and the pounding of the weather drowned out the smashers' voices. They were still sitting about two hundred meters away, their discussion obviously not over. I traced the contours of Roy's face with my eyes. _He's actually really cute when he's sleeping... _I mentally slapped myself_. He's with Peach! Come on Ike..._

Hours seemed to pass and my arms got really tired. My head was suspended about an inch away from Roy's; I was trying not to succumb to sleep. Suddenly, the injured redhead sucked in a sharp breath then sat up, making our foreheads collide painfully and sending me backwards.

"Ow!" I growled, rubbing my injured head. Roy was sitting under the rain, facing me, with his hand on his forehead.

"Yeah... Why were you on top of me?" he asked weakly. I pointed a finger at the scars and bruises on his abdomen. The fiery redhead opened his mouth slightly and delicately traced over the wounds with the back of his hand.

"That beam hit me." he stated, looking up at me.

"Yeah. I pulled you out of it's direct path, so it only clipped you. That's why you're not dead." he nodded, then tilted his head towards our friends. They were still conferring in the distance, though it must have been at least five hours since they'd started.

"What are they talking about?"

"What to do now. The fire didn't spare anything. Everyone agrees on two things: we can't turn ourselves in, but if we were to move around and live outside the law, we would need a cover." Roy narrowed his eyes, thinking the situation over. He motioned for me to help him up. I stood up, and offered the redhead my hand. He took it, and once he was steady, let go. He quickly collapsed onto the wet, muddy ground.

"I guess I have no energy." Roy laughed meekly. I gave him a small smile then picked him up. The ex-lord wrapped his legs around my torso after having secured his arms around my neck. I made my way over to the others. Peach noticed us and quickly ran over, fussing over the twenty year old teen. I set him down in the circle next to where Master Hand was sitting, then claimed a spot for myself in between Meta Knight and Link.

"Ike filled me in on your discussion, and I have an idea." everybody kept silent, listening intently. "We leave. We have enough supplies. Master Hand can just port back and forth in between camp and the bunker."

"We've already though of that." Fox hissed, clearly irritated at the fact the conversation was repeating itself.

"But I have a cover." Roy stated. "It's quite obvious, actually." The sound of the rain assaulting us was all that was heard.

"Well, what is it?" Pikachu sucked in a deep breath and ran his hair through his soaked yellow hair.

"We become a circus." The redhead leaned back nonchalantly. The smashers looked at each other, processing what he said.

"A... circus?" Zelda asked quietly, her finger's intertwined with Marth's. Samus lifted her head off of Pit's soaked shoulder and stretched.

"It makes sense. A lot of sense, actually. It's the perfect cover: a traveling circus. I mean, we all have a skill that could be put to some use." Doubtful glances were passed around. Everyone was clearly unsure of what we could do. "Ike, you're strong. Like, beyond belief strong; you could be a strongman. Zelda, you practice magic. Lucario is an illusionist. He could be your assistant or something. Meta, you're really stealthy and you can teleport. Fox is cunning; he could trap you and you could escape - Houdini style. Pit and I, we're flexible; we're acrobats. Roy and Pikachu each master an element. Fire breathing, static electricity, stuff like that. Peach, you have a beautiful voice, and most certainly other skills we don't know about. Master Hand is the ringmaster and Crazy Hand is the clown, obviously. Marth - you've really honed your skills with anything sharp - knives, swords, needles, that's your thing. Kirby can shape-shift, Link, you're great with animals. Tamer and beast."

The pounding of raindrops was as heavy as ever. The sky slowly shifted from black to light gray, and we could see the charred remains of the mansion. I looked around the circle of fighters. They were getting used to the idea of traveling as a circus. Smiles illuminated ashen faces; the rain felt refreshing against their soaked bodies. Hope was heavy in the air. Mixed feelings swirled through my heart, pulling at me. I knew Roy's idea was our only chance, and I was willing to comply. We had nothing to live for but each other, and we weren't going to give that up.

"Circus it is." Master Hand stood up, pulling his long, white hair out of his face. "We have a day to get everything ready, let's hurry. We're going to the bunker, drying off, getting our weapons. Then half of us will start working on caravans. The other half can work on the tents and costumes." He snapped his fingers.

I felt like I was dissolving. All that was shown in my vision was a bright white light. The scent of copper reached my nostrils; I could taste it in the air as well. Before I knew it I was kneeling on the stone floor of the bunker, deep inside of mount Smash. I lifted myself off of the ground and shook my head, trying to get the ringing out of my ears.

"Man, I'll never get used to porting." Marth complained, helping Zelda up.

"Tell me about it." The bluenette's girlfriend breathed as she twisted her soaked hair. I walked off towards the huge walk-in closet at the right of the enormous cave-like structure. It's size really was impressive; it's decor, not so much. Exposed wires, uncovered drywall, bare stone floors and walls. But I knew no one minded; the bunker provided everything we needed, except for a place to sleep and access to the outside world. Voices and footsteps echoed while we made our way to the tall grey doors. "Closet" was etched on it roughly. Master Hand pressed a hand on the right door and gave a mighty push. Dust swirled in the air, slowly settling on us as well as the ground.

"Great, now I have to take a shower." Peach pouted cutely, lacing her fingers through her soaked and dusty hair. Roy chuckled lightly, supporting himself on Link's shoulder.

"At least you don't have frickin fur." Fox complained, trying to get the dirt off of himself. Meta cracked a smile.

I couldn't help but be impressed as we walked in the closet, even though I was in here often. A long hallway was laid out, doors dotting it's walls. Each door was engraved with one of our names and held our clothes as well as our weapons and important belongings. _The way the General spoke about the mansion's destruction was ominous. We should keep everything dear to us in our closets. _Master Hand had spoken gravely, clearly suspicious at the new leader. I didn't really think it was necessary, but after today, I was grateful for Hand's paranoia.

Third door down to the right was my little room. I opened the door and walked in, flicked the light switch. The bulb flickered before turning on and revealing shelves of shirts, pants, battle attire, headbands, armor, boxes of pictures and treasures, old memories as well as new. Ragnell was propped against a wall in the corner. I walked over to it, brushing it with the back of my hand. Expertly trained eyes scanned the blade for any imperfections. _None, as usual._ I smiled, satisfied. I turned around. A small door led to a small bathroom. _Should I take a shower? Nah, we have a lot of work to do..._ I walked in anyway to grab a towel. My wet clothing was discarded and a fluffy rectangular piece of fabric was pressed into my face, soaking up the droplets on my skin.

I wrapped the navy towel around my waist. Putting my hands on the sides of the porcelain sink, I eyed myself in the mirror. My messy hair hung in front of my eyes in clumps; it was still the same length and color as before. A long scar traced the bridge of my nose. My lips were drawn in a straight line. If I barely ever smiled before, I barely ever smiled now. Water dripped off my chin. Navy eyes traced my features. I had hardly changed at all, but I liked it that way.

Turning around swiftly, I made my way out of the bathroom and back into my closet. Picking out a black tee and ripped jeans, I dropped my towel. I quickly put on my clothes then wrung the water out of my hair. I left my little room and walked out. Energy coursed through my veins, even if I hadn't gotten any sleep.

_Our lives have taken a turn towards somewhere unknown... But not that I mind._

_This is going to be interesting._

_

* * *

_

"Finally." Peach sighed in relief, holding up a costume that she couldn't see. Well, not physically, anyway. She place it on top of the pile of clothing in the middle of the table.

"Is that the last one?" I asked her, rolling up golden silk. She nodded and smiled at Samus, who just sighed.

"How do you guys like sewing so much?" the ex-bounty hunter leaned back nonchalantly in her chair.

"You're only saying that because you sewed through your finger." I breathed, brushing my long brown hair out of my eyes and taking a seat across from her.

"That's only part of it. I'm just not that into girly things." the blond shrugged and twisted her face into a grimace.

"Says the girl who owns a collection of teddy bears." I replied again, smiling gently.

"Shut up, Zelda." she growled. Peach giggled softly.

I reached out to the pile of carefully sewn costumes, all patiently made by our little team of five: Peach, Samus, Marth, Pit and I. Lacing my fingers around a certain outfit, I pulled it out. I stared at the clothing: a dark gray zero suit-like jumpsuit with the front cut out, white straps and accessories clipped to various parts of it.

"You guys done?" I jumped at the sudden question. My boyfriend poked his head through the door, his silky blue locks falling in front of his equally blue eyes. I nodded at him. " 'Kay." He ran off to tell the others.

Soon the crew of thirteen stood in the small room where we had made our improvised sewing den. Peach was giving out costumes while I clung to mine.

"Remember, you designed your own, so if you're not satisfied with it, it's your own fault." she quipped cheerfully, handing out the last outfit and clutching her own. "Now go try em on!"

The guys rushed out to another room while us girls closed the door and undressed. My suit was skin tight, hugging my forearms, hands, legs and feet. A white strap over my breasts held the front where it was split. A long white cloth dangled from my petite hips and brushed the floor. I looked in the mirror with curious eyes. I looked mysterious and devious, with my hair brushing my waist.

"Wait until you have makeup on to go with it." Samus said, joining me. She was clad in a skin tight light blue shirt and shorts. Her shirt was a sleeveless turtleneck and showed no more skin than what was needed. Her shorts hugged her legs and stopped mid-thigh. Loose gold ribbon was wrapped around her arms and held her ponytail together.

"Yeah." Peach agreed, standing a bit behind us. Her costume was a long, wispy dress of many layers, colored a light grayish-pink. Her forearms were covered in bangles of various sizes, which she brushed away to check her watch.

"Second day's almost over. We should get going."

**A/N: Sorry if this chapter took a little longer, I had the concept and I just needed a way to write it out. But it's finally done! Hooray!**

Now the circus prologue makes sense, doesn't it? Told you :P Just wait till the next chapter. ;D


	4. Chapter 3

Golden sunlight filtered through auburn leaves to fall on the large clearing. On the far side, thirteen caravans, all intricately decorated, rested in a semi-circle. The early morning air felt refreshing in my lungs. Silence reigned over the peaceful scene. I stared up at the heavens, a slow song playing on repeat in my head. I breathed out random lyrics thought of on the spot; my voice softly sighing off of the landscape. _We fell apart, we got back up again. Way up. Way up, so high... And we'll never fall down . Never, never..._A bird joined my song, chirping every once in a while.

Eventually I turned my attention back to the cracked brown leather book that lay on the dew-coated grass. I picked it up, still humming my melody, and read a couple of stained pages. Beautiful navy calligraphy was sprawled against the surface of the sheets, telling the stories of my past.

"HEADS!" came the roaring cry. I barely had time to glance up until

_**CRASH**_

Roy flew and landed in the piles of withered leaves near me. His laughter disrupted the quiet as Ike jumped in with him; the redhead threw leaves over his head. The introverted bluenette laughed as well, the sweet sound escaping his throat for the first time in a long time. Well, at least I assumed it was, since I'd never heard him laugh. The redheaded swordsman threw up a flutter of fallen gold once again, which proceeded to rain gently on the two friends. I couldn't help but smile at the sight.

"Good morning, _children_." I smirked closing the leather-bound book I held in my hand.

"'Morning Zelda." Roy said, shoving Ike under a pile of leaves. "How are you?"

"I'm excellent, thank you for asking."

When the swordsmen turned around to resume their game, I grabbed an armful of golden beauties. I stealthily walked up to my friends, releasing my burden on the two twenty-some year-olds. Laughter filled the air as unknown hands wrapped around my waist. Tilting my head back, I blinked at Marth.

"Morning." he said, smiling. I returned his grin then turned my attention back to Ike and Roy. Unfortunately for me they chose that exact moment to bury me under a pile of leaves. I yelped; I was covered in the beautifully dead vegetation. I could hear the three swordsmen high-fiving as I picked the leaves out of my hair.

It had been six months since the mansion had burned down. Roy's plan had worked; we had successfully avoided the government. There was the occasional close call with the Justice, but otherwise, we traveled stealthily and unopposed. Our shows were wildly popular and we varied our acts every couple days. To the outside world, we were a mysterious band of freaks. To us, the circus was to be our home for the rest of our lives. Moments like this morning were not rare.

"Traveling is so much more fulfilling than just wading in our sorrows." Ike said, contempt, leaning against a birch tree.

"Agreed." Marth nodded. I sighed happily before resting my head against my boyfriend's shoulder and closing my eyes. The trio made small talk for an amount of time while everyone else was slowly waking up.

"Do you have to do this at 6:30 in the morning?" Link said, coming at us from his forest green caravan across the clearing.

"Yup." I chimed in breezily. He shook his scruffy blond head before joining our circle, smiling.

Soon the whole troop was sitting underneath the large birch, Peach handing out a steaming breakfeast. I bit into my bacon, savoring it's smoky taste. Peach's proud expression told me it was homemade. Smiling faces told me they shared my thoughts on the meal. I devoured the meat before attacking my waffles, which were coated in maple syrup. Marth looked at me, blinked, then smiled when he noticed my less than polite eating.

Master Hand stood up, brushed off his ornate purple coat, then cleared his throat. All conversation ceased and heads turned towards the man.

"Practice starts at three. Show starts at sunset." He then walked off to his caravan. The chatter resumed, bits of conversation tumbling over others in the light morning air. My sensitive hylian ears twitched. Marth took notice and kissed my cheek, his warm lips sending heat down my spine.

"Today's gonna be great."

* * *

I watched Samus vault off of the roof of her caravan and land swiftly next to Pit, who smiled at her before dumping her in a pile of leaves. Ike shook his head at them as he walked past the couple and into the large yellow and purple tent. The acrobats soon walked in; they were joined by Marth, Zelda and Lucario. I sat on the roof of Kirby's temporary cage, kicking the bars with the back of my feet. I knew the show was starting because excited murmurs filled the air; I didn't need to be in the tent for a little while, so I was fine with sitting here. Plus, having a guard is always good, in case of the Justice.

The wind picked up and threw my fiery red hair in front of my eyes. I blinked. The crowd cheered, and I could hear Master Hand announcing the end of Meta and Fox's act. A movement to my right distracted me. Far away in the shadows, trees rustled and leaves were scattered. The moon illuminated metal armor. I stealthily jumped off my post and ran inside the large tent. Master Hand was not far, discussing with his brother.

"Justice!" I called out, running up to him. His head snapped in my direction, and when he saw I was serious, he ordered the performers backstage to get everything ready to port.

"Thanks for notifying us Roy. I just hope that I have enough energy to port us." Master Hand walked towards me.

"You ported this morning?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Usually he ported on Fridays, when we didn't have a show that night. Porting took an awful lot of energy from Hand; only once per day. Master Hand nodded and walked hastily on to stage, where he whispered something to Link. The white-haired ringmaster then silenced the shocked crowd. I couldn't see what was going on, but I knew it was probably the part of the act where they kill someone in the audience.

"Due to unforeseen circumstances, the circus will end now. Please exit the tent immediately." I heard Hand say faintly as I walked outside to find all of the caravans assembled, ready to port. I made my way over to Peach. She took in my grim expression despite having her eyes sewn shut and placed her hand on my cheek. I felt a tingle run through my body, like it did every time she touched me. It wasn't because I loved her, I knew, but because of things that had happened during the war. She was different now. How, I wasn't sure; I didn't exactly want to know either. I gently peeled her cold appendage off of my face and dropped it by her side. She smiled airily at me.

"Don't worry Roy. We can lend Hand some of our energy, if needs be." I scowled.

I had no clue why I was still with the former princess; it was obvious that the blonde and I were not meant to be. She was much more energetic and girly than Zelda and Samus, and since her surgery, could be very creepy. Whoever she touched could read her thoughts, and her theirs. Therefore, I knew that she had no feelings for me anymore as well.

"I'd rather not." I ran my hand through my red hair, which was freed of it's headband.

Silence.

The moon illuminated the clearing, and at that moment, I felt peace. Master Hand walked out, the magical tent held in a small box, which was placed in his pocket. His long purple coat's golden accessories glittered in the pale light. His face was set in a solemn expression.; he lifted his hand and snapped his fingers.

Bright, so very bright blue light was all that I could see and a high-pitched ringing stung my ears. Time seemed to stop for awhile; the air was cold, then warm. In a second, it was all over, and I was on my hands and knees in a field.

"Where's the next show?" inquired Lucario, standing up.

"We're just outside of Ta'hol." Hand answered, walking into his caravan.

"And which town did that use to be?" asked Pikachu to no one in particular. No one answered.

I plopped down and watched everybody go to bed. Once everybody was gone, I stood up and found Peach's bright pink caravan. I knocked on the lace-covered door then walked in; she greeted me with a smile.

"You want to break up?" she asked me, gently brushing my arm with the back of her hand. I took a deep breath.

"I guess. I mean, we lost our feelings for each other a long time ago." She grinned.

"The days of the war were good for us, but we're no use to each other." She hugged me, then pushed me towards the door. "Now get the hell outta my van."

I fell on the soft, luscious green grass. Peach would never change.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry sorry sorry this took so long! I've severely injured my hand (stupid doors...) thus making it hard to type :/  
Next update will probably take awhile as well, because not only am I injured, but I'm gone from the 12 to the 15.**

**Also, sorry for the short sappyness of this chapter XD I needed something slow and calm, because lots of commotion and action is coming in the next chapters!  
**


	5. Chapter 4

A sharp screech rang out in the empty field. My eyes fluttered open and I swiftly leaped off the roof of my caravan, where I was perched. My long black dreadlocks flew in all directions; my paw-like blue feet made no noise as they contacted with the leaf covered ground.

"Oh my god..." I recognized the voice as Zelda's. I turned around the side of her caravan to find her kneeling by a tall blonde figure sprawled on the grass. As I got closer, I noticed the pointed ears... the overlarge toon eyes...

"Toon Link?" I inquired as the rest of our troop assembled around the figure. The hylian woman nodded.

"Do you think...?" She looked at me hopefully.

Blue light illuminated curious faces as my spiked hands hovered gently over Toon Link's chest. His heartbeat was there, his breathing was fine; I should stop at that. But there was something dark and intriguing that tugged at my mind, pressing me to go further into his aura. I mean, he was killed in an explosion a year into the war... he should not be here...

_Violent light. Red. I could smell fire. I could taste death._

_The pain exploded in me. I was thrown far into the forest on the side of the battlefield, my already broken body breaking more as I landed on a boulder. I lay there, not completely thrown into the void yet; I wished I would be. The agony was excruciating. I knew that I would die and my efforts would have been wasted. The smasher's current mission would fail, all because I wasn't paying attention..._

_My current situation: two years after the tournament, a couple days after a year of the war. I'm fifteen, three years older than I was in the Brawl. I was charged with putting an explosive in the Justice base. Sheik accompanied me. I don't know if she's okay; I hope she didn't suffer the same fate as me. We infiltrated the base without a problem. I was a lookout while Sheik broke into the control room and I failed to notice the shadow guard lunging at me. We wrestled for a bit. _

_**Toon... stop wrestling with him and get out of here!** The ninja shrieked in my thoughts. I shook my head at her and continued fighting the Justice member. Her jaw clenched and a single tear glistened in her eye. One Farore's Wind later, she was gone, and the bomb exploded._

_Which brings me to where I am lying now, broken on a rock in the middle of... Wait, where am I exactly? I look around and notice the large Subspace Emissary insignia on the ground. Huh. I must be near Tabbu's grave. _

_All of a sudden, my vision goes black and the pain intensifies. A raw shriek escapes my throat, and shadow bugs pour in._

"_Shut up." I recognize that voice._

"_You're my weapon now."_

_The darkness engulfs my whole body, my mind, my soul... and for some reason I don't mind. I know it's not because of the figure's power. I think this might be my destiny._

_Power surges through every fiber of my being. My eyes glow red, I sit up. The veil of black placed over my field of vision is lifted; I can see it before me._

I backed away from the figure on the ground, terror coursing through my veins. I shook my head in disbelief at what I saw. Mixed emotions tugged at my heart; pain for the loss of my friends that day, joy that Toon is with us again... fear at what he has become.

Zelda noticed my pusillanimous expression. She grabbed my shoulders. Worried eyes searched me.

"Is he okay?" She asked softly.

"That's... not... Toon..." I whispered in a monotone, trying to tame my shivering body. I couldn't; I could honestly say I was terrified. The ex-ruler of Hyrule narrowed her eyes at me.

"Kill him... he's possessed... he's not Toon." I looked at her with the best solemn expression I could muster. Zelda's mouth twitched; a sharp pain snapped my head to the side. I contacted the ground in a flurry of leaves. My long tail brushed the golden vegetation from side to side as I pressed my hand to my furry cheek.

I got up slowly. Aura built up in me and I closed my eyes. A nasty hook punch connected with the woman's jaw, sending her backwards like her slap had sent me sideways. My feet made no noise as I ran around her caravan and back to mine. I slammed my door and let out a raw cry of frustration. The rest of the troop would not believe me unless they had seen what I saw; that would never happen.

It was at that moment that I knew we were doomed.

* * *

I licked my lips as I watched Zelda and Peach carry Toon away. My silky blue hair fell into my eyes, but I didn't brush it away. Lucario's words kept replaying themselves in my head.

A conversation to my right caught my attention. Link, Ike and Roy were talking to Hand solemnly. I walked over. Hand was shaking his head.

"I don't care if Lucario is right or not. We'll let Toon stay until he proves to us he can't be trusted." He then turned around and walked away. Roy frowned and Ike furrowed his brows. Link facepalmed at Master Hand's behavior.

* * *

I sat up high in a tree, watching the show go on from a very far distance. My wings fluttered gently and sent a couple of feathers falling slowly towards the ground. My act had finished approximately ten minutes ago, so I had flown towards the forest on the far side of the field.

Toon was watching the show from the stands. He'd woken up not long after he had appeared, and all smashers, even the ones who didn't believe he was Toon, greeted him jovially. The camp was basically divided into two halves: those who believed Lucario, and those who didn't want to accept the truth. Samus, Ike, Marth, Roy, Link, Lucario and I all thought the same thing about "Toon Link". On the other side of the invisible line lay everybody else, including Hand. In the middle was Crazy, who was too busy yelling out random words to choose a side.

I curled up on my branch, not bothering to notice the world around me. There were so many thoughts whirling through my head, and too may emotions piercing through my heart at the same time. The mansion, Skyworld, Toon Link, Samus, the General and the Justice, among others.

All of a sudden, a figure landed gracefully next to me, startling me. The thin branch I was perched on rattled dangerously; I tipped over and fell backwards. I caught myself on the branch below and propelled my body upwards swiftly. I narrowed my eyes at the figure on my branch, then calmed down when I recognized who it was.

Samus smiled at me. I smiled back at her and took her hand.

"You thinking about Toon?" She inquired, resting her head against my shoulder.

"Nah." I replied, removing my hand from hers and secured my arm around her waist. "I was thinking about you."

I pressed my lips against my girlfriend's cheek, which caused her smile to widen considerably. It then disappeared with a sigh.

"Well, I think Hand is being stupid." She stated, closing her eyes and snuggling into me some more.

"Yeah, but I can see his reasoning." I replied.

"They're still being stupid. Lucario said it's not Toon, so it's not Toon."

"Hmm."

I looked up at the stars shining down on the field. They bathed the plain in a soft cyan light. The tent shone with it's own light in the distance; I briefly wondered which act was on. It was probably nearing the end, when Peach would tell fortunes and when Crazy was unleashed upon the crowd.

"We should get back." Samus whispered. I picked her up bridal style and flew into the night.

* * *

**A/N: This came sooner than I thought :p**

**Well. My hand still hurts like hell still, and since I'm gone for the rest of the week, don't expect another update like this for awhile.  
I'm sorta disappointed in the ending :/ It's a lot shorter than I wanted, and the ending feels weird to me. Oh well :P  
Review!**

**Oh. And I'd like to thank all the people who have been reviewing this story since the beginning. I really appreciate it, and you guys are my motivation! I LOVE YOU ALL!  
**

**EDIT: Okay, I just got back and realized I forgot to put dividers! :O There are in fact three point of views here: Lucario, Marth and Pit. Sorry if I've confused you!  
**


	6. Chapter 5

There was a gentle rap on my door.

"May I come in?" It took me no less than a second for my sensitive hylian ears to recognize the speaker as Toon.

"Yes." I closed my book gently. A smile graced my lips as the blond teenager poked his head through the door frame. He smiled as well, his eyes lighting up when he saw me sitting cross-legged on my bed.

I patted the duvet next to me, inviting him in; the blond slunk into my caravan with catlike grace. He sat next to me gingerly and rested his head on my lap.

"At this rate, you'll make Marth jealous." I chuckled airily and brushed a strand away from his face.

"Hmm." He blinked. "I'm tired of everybody being suspicious of me."

I nodded in agreement.

"They're being quite immature. But don't worry, you have half of us on your side."

His large, cartoon-like cerulean eyes peered up at me. Toon then lifted his head up and drew in a breath. Bringing his face centimeters away from mine, he smiled malevolently. Taking it all as a joke, I laughed breezily.

"I'm not joking." He hissed. I blinked at him in confusion. I studied his face, which was set in a hard glare. His eyes were now smoky black, strands of red appearing occasionally.

"They're right, you know."

The teenager pinned me against the wall, bringing his face even closer.

"You should have killed me when you had the chance..." He rasped, licking his lips; I saw the edges of his suddenly sharp teeth.

"I could never kill you..." _This is all a joke._

"You're supposed to be the wise one."

_No... It's not even been a week... It's too fast. Too fast. He just came back, he just walked in... This is all a joke! It's a prank. Hahahaha. _My face went from impassive to slightly scared. _What..._

Suddenly there was a blade against my chest, lightly pressing into my skin. My eyes widened considerably at the blonde hunched over me in the small circus caravan. I searched the familiar face, the same face that, weeks and months before, I had mourned. He was nothing that I could remember; of course, I attributed this to the fact he was "killed" a year into the war, two years ago.

"What are you going to do to me?" My voice, which I'd intended to be strong, came out as a bare, raspy whisper. Toon grinned maliciously before turning his head towards the window, into which moonlight filtered. He shuffled a bit, as if to get himself comfortable.

"Well, I'm not going to kill you." He stated flatly, not turning his attention away from the window. He stayed silent for a little while, gazing out into the night. His right hand gripped my wrists painfully while his left held the silver knife against my ribcage. He sat on my crossed legs with his knees digging forcefully into my hips, rendering movement impossible.

All of a sudden the whole room was completely devoid of all light, and something soft was pressed against my lips. It took a couple seconds for the fact to click: Toon was kissing me, and I was growing very weak, very fast. My eyelids fluttered shut and I slumped meekly against the wall.

"Wha... wha... sto- op..." I forced out in between his lips. He pulled his head back and released his grip on my wrists. Leaning back, the blond studied me.

"Good night Zelda."

* * *

Throwing my soft duvet on to the floor of my caravan, I sat up and stretched. My jaws split in a yawn, but I soon clamped them shut. I got up and walked to my mirror, then grimaced when I saw myself: my silky blue hair was strewn in all directions.

_I sorta look like Roy._ I gave my head a shake, watching the azure strands fall into place. _Hmm. Better._ Running a hand over the large scars splayed against my chest, I studied myself in the mirror. From the Brawl tournament to the present time, I had changed immensely: though I had kept my hair the same length and had grown no taller, I gained muscle mass and my features had gotten sharper. It had been almost three years, at the beginning of the war, since I'd been called anything close to "girl" or "gay".

Of course, the war had changed me as well, but not so much physically, less you count the numerous scars. Some would argue otherwise, but no one is same during two years of grueling battle. I was one of the first people to start acting like my old self. Others, like Pit, are still not even halfway healed; though they are making progress.

I turned my attention towards the small picture frame next to my mirror. The image depicted was one of joy and friendship: all of my fallen friends, as well as the ones still alive, posed and smiled in front of the mansion that used to house us. Couples were kissing, smiling and holding each other, while friends shared hugs and laughs. I found myself in the picture, towards the middle. Ike was in between me and Roy, his arms draped around our shoulders. Link, Pit, Samus, Fox and Falco stood with arms locked in the row behind, while Zelda was holding my hand and Peach was hugging Roy lightly. Sonic was poking an annoyed Snake's cheek as Lucario and Mewtwo meditated in the front row.

I smiled at the memory of the days that had followed that snapshot. Parties and friendly fights to celebrate the end of the third tournament, which was hopefully not to be the last. Two years later, the war started; two years after that, it finished. Another year or so, and here we are.

Finally deciding to put a shirt on and walk outside, I looked around. Surprisingly, Zelda was not reading, though the bigger surprise was the numerous Halloween decorations strung around our camp. I quickly spotted my girlfriend and her pink-clad blind friend gluing orange and black ribbons to a caravan. Peach turned towards me and waved jovially, which incited me to walk towards them.

"Good morning Marth!" Zelda exclaimed happily as I wrapped my arms around her waist. I mumbled a greeting, still trying to wake up, and smiled.

"What's up with all of this?" I asked, blinking the sleep out of my eyes.

"The circus is hosting a Halloween party!" Peach squealed, dropping a small carved pumpkin she had been holding in her hand. "It'll be just like the balls we used to host at Halloween during and in between tournaments!"

"How interesting. Guess I'm gonna need a date then." Ike yawned as he walked up to us. I chuckled lightly. Zelda shivered in my arms.

"You okay?" I whispered in my girlfriend's ear as Peach and Ike greeted Roy and Link. She smiled up at me.

"Couldn't be better." I smiled back at her. _Did her eyes just flash black and red?_

I was distracted by Ike grabbing my hips and pulling me away from Zelda. I was then shoved into a pile of leaves, which sent a nice amount of golden vegetation flying. Roy, Ike, Link and Peach all laughed and high-fived, but soon both blonds were sitting in the pile with me, still laughing. Ike was chasing Roy, obviously planning to have him join us as well; I couldn't help but laugh when the redhead suddenly turned around and tackled our friend to the ground.

"They would make a perfect couple." Peach sighed. Link blinked, then shook his head at me.

"Yaoi fangirls. They're all the same." I laughed at my blond friend's comment, which earned us both an armful of leaves being poured on our head. Suddenly, I noticed something.

"Hey, where did Zelda go?"

* * *

"What did you do to me?" I whispered, sitting cross-legged on my bed. The blond teenager sat near me, looking out the window. He stayed silent for a little while, before turning to me.

"After the explosion, while I was dying... he... came to me..." Toon stated, leaning back against the wall. His smoky black eyes, tinted with strands of red, bore into me. "He gave me... life... powers... I was his mercenary. This is my final mission."

"Are you doing this against your will?" I knew that my eyes, staring harshly into his, were smoky black and tinted with strands of red. He shook his head.

"You were his mercenary... who was he? Did you-" I was interrupted by Link's reincarnation.

"I killed every single person who died after I did. If I hadn't been there, they would've survived. And you will meet him in time." He paused and looked out the window into the fresh morning air. I smiled devilishly.

He placed a cold hand on my knee.

"Now you are my fellow assassin. This is what we are going to do next..."

* * *

**A/N: Hooray! Another chapter! Took two days later than I thought, though :/ Ah well! R&R, see ya next chapter!**


	7. Chapter 6

"You never answered my question." Perched up high in a tree, I sat with Zelda, watching the rest of the troop finish the preparations for the ball. "Am I... Infected? Do I have a disease, or-"

"It's not a disease." I snarled, intently watching the small figures busying themselves below. "I drained all of your power, then replaced your magic with dark magic."

"Similar to Ganon's?" She inquired, taking her gaze off of her friends to look at me.

"Much, much more powerful than that." Seeing the a quick look of regret and guilt shadow her sharp features, I smiled slightly. "Do not worry. It is your destiny, as it is mine, though I suspect that you might not want it like I do."

She pursed her lips and looked at the full moon. I could tell she was anxious about betraying the ones who loved her, unsure that the plan was a good one, and confused at how I managed to change her feelings towards everyone.

"Go get ready. The ball should be starting soon." I hissed, then jumped off of my branch.

* * *

The shadows hid my stealthy shape. Black strands of hair fell in front of my yellow eyes, which were scanning the mass of people. My velvety purple wings twitched with annoyance; the noise level was incredibly high, and I could barely hear myself think. _I don't see Peach anywhere... If I can just make it out of the tent..._

I slunk into the mass of creatures, whispering excuses when I would bump into one or step on another. Behind the mass of joyful, squirming bodies, there was my chance at salvation: the tent's exit. I was painfully close to getting out of the stupid ball and ridiculous ensemble, not to mention, I would avoid a most probably wasted Kirby.

"Oh, Meta~" Peach forcefully turned me around. "I hope you're not escaping already, the party's just started!" The ex-ruler of Mushroom Kingdom pushed me back into the crowd with a devious grin.

I sighed and trudged through the crowd once again, meeting up with the rest of the troop. A certain pink-haired teen leaned against his very blond friend, both obviously drunk. The mercenary nudged his shorter bluenet friend and made a comment about how drunk the pair of swordsmen had gotten at the Smash Balls. Link was starting a thumb war with Roy; Fox was arguing with Lucario and Pit. The two blonde women of the group were talking about what Zelda was supposedly doing for her performance and laughing while Hand fitted Crazy with a straight jacket. Toon was nowhere to be seen.

The lights dimmed slightly and a spotlight turned was turned on to reveal Zelda, who was standing in the center of the mini-stage we'd set up. She wore her usual costume, her hair was done as per the norm and her makeup was the same. The only difference was the malevolent grin plastered over her angled features.

"Zelda's been acting really weird lately." Marth whispered to Ike.

"She has been a little off." Link remarked, frowning slightly at the suggestive tricks his friend was pulling off on stage. Instead of her usual act, she was teasing the crowd and "accidentally" burning off parts of her costume. The audience was, of course, enthralled by her ethereal grace.

Suddenly, she dropped to the ground in a flash of red light, emerging as a figure loosely wrapped in frayed black ribbon. Long, pale blond hair hung in front of startling scarlet eyes, and a devilish smile was half-hidden behind a piece of large ribbon ungracefully wound around the woman's face.

"Sheik..." Pikachu breathed in his drunken stupor, barely able to see her through his yellow hair.

"She hasnn use dher n yerrs..." Kirby slurred, hypnotized by the sheikah on stage and utterly wasted.

No more lights. All I could see was a deep, impenetrable black. Creatures screamed at the sudden change in lighting; but I had a creeping fear the worse was yet to come.

"Well, fuck." I heard Ike say through the confusion. Blinding red flashes appeared in winding succession, followed by screams of sheer horror and pain. I thought I recognized Peach yelling something, but I couldn't make out the words.

Something clipped my wing as it charged past me, leaving a small trail of my hot blood to pour down my skin. I folded the appendages against my back and tried to find someone I knew, preferably my little cousin Kirby, whom I'd sworn to protect. Instead, Pikachu stumbled upon me.

"Meta, wuts goin onn?" He asked in a panicked, though slurred manner.

"I don't know. Where's Kirby?" I inquired, grabbing the eighteen year-old by the shoulders.

"Dunno." I couldn't make out anything in between the bright crimson strikes.

We stood there, hoping not to be targeted next, and evading the terrified beasts fighting to survive. Pikachu twisted my gray dress shirt in his hands; he was barely intoxicated, and I was pretty sure he had some sense left in him.

"How many?" A clear yell rung out. I recognized the voice as belonging to Sheik, despite only hearing the sweet rasp thrice.

"Five." Toon's voice is unmistakeable.

My blood ran cold at the teen's answer. _Five._ That probably meant that five of us were at the worst, dead, and at the very best, on the edge of death. _Sorry for not believing you, Lucario._

* * *

The first thing I did when I woke up was hold my breath and listen. _No noise._ My eyelids fluttered open, taking in the shredded remains of the tent, the sticky crimson blood, the unrecognizable bodies of varied creatures. A sharp pain threaded through every fiber of my being, and I felt like I'd rather have died than been hit. Sitting up with difficulty and agony, I checked for injuries; impossible to tell, for I was covered in red liquid, and the pain was everywhere.

My sharp vulpine ears twitched at the shuffling sound on my right. Pit whimpered, then tried to sit up, only to fall down with a quiet cry of pain. I flopped down as well, my body not being able to support itself.

"Where's Samus?" The angel breathed.

"I don't know-"

"ARGHH!" Toon's yell echoed in the large clearing, followed by a loud snapping sound, then another scream, this time from a different person.

Pit flew into a sitting position, flinching. He scrambled, using the ruined mini-stage behind him to stand up. The twenty-five year-old was drenched in sticky crimson liquid as well, albeit not as much as me. His left wing and arm were both bent at an unnatural angle, and a large gash ran down his abdomen, crusted with dried blood. Messy chocolate-colored hair fell in front of his desperate eyes. He was panting; the effort of standing up must be killing him.

"That scream. That was Samus." He whispered. "Fox, can you tell if anybody's dead?"

"I'm no Lucario, but by the looks of this," I swept my arm in a circular motion. "There's a lot of death."

Pit looked at me like I was stupid.

"That's not what I meant. Is any of our group dead?"

"No." Came the solemn reply from our right. Lucario stepped through the pulverized carcasses, scruffy and shaken up, but not bloody. "Samus, Meta, Pikachu and I managed to avoid the slashes. The rest of you didn't. Either there was a flaw in Toon's plan, or they want us alive."

"What's happening outside?" Pit leaned forward dangerously and closed his eyes for a second. The Pokemon hybrid walked up to him and sat the angel down gently.

"Samus and Meta are fighting Toon. Marth and Ike managed not to get injured too severely, and they've defeated Zelda. Everybody else is like you two, except for Link, who's pretty much dying right now."

The brunet let out an exhausted "ah"at the news. I just lay there, processing the information. My tail twitched, and I was glad when the stab of pain that came wasn't excruciating; that meant it was still functional.

"Sorry Lucario."

The hybrid smiled gently.

"Peach will be here in a minute."

* * *

"ARGHH!" Toon yelled violently as a blast from my paralyzer struck him in the chest. I took the opportunity to send a harsh kick at his jaw, effectively shattering it with a sickening crack. He retaliated by teleporting behind me a kicking me to the ground. I screamed.

Meta sliced the evil Link incarnation's shoulder with Galaxia, earning a spray of blood; Toon didn't react.

"What do you want from us?" I murmured loud enough for him to hear, then sent a vicious roundhouse at his head.

The blonde ducked, then was stabbed in the shin by Meta. The black-haired swordsman growled and narrowed his eyes. He then disappeared. Curious as to what he would do, I resumed attacking my "friend", tiring with every hit. My partner suddenly reappeared behind Toon and sent his sword through the blond's neck. Hot, sticky black blood poured out. The teen cackled sickly; it sounded like a series of choked gurgles.

Meta pulled Galaxia out of Toon. The blond just stood there, the flood of gurgling, dark liquid staining the ground at my feet. His eyes where black with wisps of red, staring into mine. He let out one last malevolent cackle before collapsing in a tide of sticky liquid.

A hundred feet away, Zelda let out a faint cry and stared at the mass of black, which was shaping itself into many different forms. Ike and Marth instinctively tightened their grip on the hylian, all the while analyzing the dark shapes. They morphed into the form of a tall man. I gawked at the figure standing before me. Meta took a step back and narrowed his eyes.

"_You._"

* * *

**A/N: Cliffhanger, yeah!  
Cookies if you can guess who the mysterious figure is. Hint: it's not an OC, or obscure character. R&R, as usual :)**


	8. Epilogue

**Two updates in one day! Wow! If you haven't read chapter 6 yet, go do so!**

* * *

"Me." I said simply, smirking at the shocked smashers. _My_ shocked smashers.

"Why?" Samus choked out. It sounded like a sob. I closed the distance in between us, searching the others' emotions. Shock, despair, anger, fear. Good.

"Because. You might not have noticed, but you have always been my puppets. In the tournaments, in the war, and now... I tire of you. I wanted you guys to leave with a... bang. Something to remember." I brought my gloved hand up and gently put it on the blonde's cheek. She flinched.

"Why don't you just send us home?" Ike managed to make his voice sound flat, neutral. I was impressed. I swiveled around and gave him a funny look.

"Now where's the fun in that?" Brushing my long, white hair away from my face, I peered through a huge rip in the tent and stared straight at the group of injured smashers. They all stared at me with mixed emotions.

With one swift, rapid movement, I turned around and shoved my hand through Samus' chest. I grabbed her heart and pulled it out. The woman dropped to the ground; a single cry of anguish was heard from behind me. I looked back, and saw a certain angel trying to get up. I ignored him and crushed the vital organ I held, spraying myself and the ground in blood.

Meta Knight growled and charged at me, but I caught his neck with my other hand. I squeezed experimentally, then grabbed his sword out of his hold and shoved it through his stomach. The yellow-eyed knight wheezed, gurgled, then fell over. I kicked his face, snapping his neck.

"I thought you were hit." Murmured Marth, a protective hand on Falchion.

"It's easy to fake." I tilted my head to the side and analyzed his emotions. "Even after all she has done, you still love Zelda. How sweet."

The ex-prince turned his head to the side, and Zelda looked to the ground. I knew she had no feelings towards anyone here, except for loyalty to me; my grin widened.

"Zelda." My voice was smooth, convincing. "Help me kill everybody. Maybe I'll spare you." She wrenched herself out of her friends' grip and grabbed their heads. Blood exploded everywhere as she forced both of their skulls against each others, effectively shattering them.

We walked slowly up to the tent, and when we got to the rip, Lucario stood there with a hardened expression on his face. His eyes and hands glowed with aura in his pitiful attempt to stop us.

"You will not pass." He growled. I frowned playfully.

"Why are you people so against saying my name?" When Lucario stayed quiet, I grabbed his wrists and broke them. "Say my name."

Lucario turned his head to the side. In retaliation, I broke his shoulders.

"SAY IT!" I screamed.

"Master Hand."

* * *

_Dear Journal,_

_Well, Master Hand is currently ripping Roy to pieces, so I thought I'd leave something before I die. I need something to distract me from the redhead's pained screeches..._

_I'm not saying this is a fitting end to my story. I was planning on asking Samus to marry me, and it would have been great. I just don't get why we were played like this. We're supposed to be the heroes, and our story is supposed to go like this: a shady, complicated past, most probably orphaned, having to save a kingdom, then peace for a little while. After that, the occasional quest and hardship, arch-enemy coming back to life. But whatever the hero faces, he's supposed to come out the winner, live joyfully with everything he or she wanted._

_But I guess there really is no happy ending._

_Goodbye, world._

**A/N: HOORAY! FINISHED!  
You weren't expecting this were you?**_  
_


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